Although fan fiction has existed since at least the 70s, the Internet facilitated its growth beginning in the 90s. Like never before, previously unknown writers could self-publish their work, potentially reaching a global audience. While authors have written fiction expanding upon TV shows, films, and novels, others have focused on real person stories (RPS) starring actual celebrities, musicians, and actors. In the Beatles fan field, one such pioneering novel is D. Aviva Rothschild's With Strings Attached, Or The Big Pink Job, a science fiction/fantasy story originally available in installments over the Internet. Now that Rothschild has completed the book, it is now available in paperback and CD form. Even fan fiction veterans will be amazed by Rothschild's imagination and skill in testing the boundaries of the genre.
With Strings Attached, or The Big Pink Job is the culmination of a 29-year journey for Rothschild; she officially began writing the novel circa 1978, and an early version of the book served as her master's thesis. On Rothschild's website, she explains that her teenage interest in Dungeons and Dragons and role-playing games, and her subsequent enthusiasm for comics, heavily influenced her writing and the overall plot.
With Strings Attached details an experiment involving otherworldly beings transporting The Beatles onto another planet. The story takes place in 1980, although the group members appear as their 1964 selves. Angry and scared, the foursome navigate their way through this new world, encountering extraterrestrial beings along the way. While John, Paul, George and Ringo may exist in their 60s incarnations, they bring all their current issues (namely lingering resentments from their breakup) with them. Unknowingly manipulated by the beings controlling the environment, the four must work together to exist — and hopefully exit — this strange planet.
Recounting the complicated story here would be too lengthy and would give away too much of the plot. But the writing spans science fiction and fantasy genres, largely evading fan fiction cliches. Rothschild clearly has fun with language, playing with fonts and sometimes lapsing into streams of consciousness. However, the plot is fairly easy to follow, although the author does provide a helpful list of characters at the beginning of the book.
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